Grief is a normal reaction to the loss of a significant someone or something in your life. Grief is a necessary process that helps an individual adjust to a loss. Grief does not mean you have a lack of faith. Unfortunately, there are no written scripts for how to grieve or for how long to grieve. Each person grieves in his or her unique way at his or her own pace.

As you begin to organize the material possessions your loved one acquired during life, you will encounter special mementos that describe your loved one. These are treasures that you may want to keep as a reminder of your loved one’s life. They give meaning and purpose to your loved one’s life and are living reminders of how they lived, what they accomplished and how they touched your life and the lives of others.

In 1969, psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced what became known as the “five stages of grief.” These stages of grief were based on her studies of the feelings of patients facing terminal illness, but many people have generalized them to other types of negative life changes and losses, such as the death of a loved one or a break-up.

Sometimes in your grief you want to be doing something instead of waiting until you feel better. William J. Worden shares about the tasks involved in the mourning process. When you are focused on a task, it seems to help deal with the present situation and cope with the changes in your life.